Broken Wings
by Shade the Hero Project-X
Summary: What would happen if Inque's plan had succeeded? One hero is dead leaving the other to doubt if he had made the right choice, but will a new hero arise to set things right? Rated T, Title may be subject to change.
1. Prologue Part 1: Fallen Bat

**I've been wanting to do a Batman story for a while, I just never got around yo actually writing one. Until now, thanks to another Batman fan which I was inspired from by one of his great ideas. So, this story is going to be a bit heavy, but hey, it's Batman what did you expect? **

**DISCLAIMER: Batman Beyond and all related characters belong to Warner Brothers, original idea belongs to: Batman DannyP fanwriter, I only claim the story plot and whatever OC's that come into play. **

* * *

**Prologue**

_"This isn't good!"_ Terry thought as the slimy villain named Inque crashed into the Batcave's super computer after springing forth from under the Bat Mobile. Bruce had managed to dodge out of the way and ran into the shadows while Batman tried to get her attention.

The icky she-villain retook a humanoid form while keeping her identity concealed. She looked around the cave as her right hand formed into a thick whip with sharpened blades that resembled the teeth of a chainsaw. "Ou- looks like somebody's got a secret." She sneered as she shot forward into a messy ink-like blob and headed past Batman and towards the stairs.

Terry gasped, realizing what she was doing he quickly blocked her way by throwing a sharp-edged batarang at her, slowing her down and giving himself enough time to get between her and the doorway that led up to Bruce's mansion. If she found out where that led it would be all over for the old hero.

Inque wasn't intimidated by him in the least, instead she wrapped herself around him and lifted him off the floor. Batman struggled in her arms, trying to break free.

"Say ah." Inque told him as she tightened her grip, crushing his chest. He tried to resist, but gave in and opened his mouth to shout in pain and when he did she shoved her arm down his throat and allowed the dark slime to flow freely in an attempt to drown him. Terry struggled to break free, but with the oxygen being forced out of his lungs only to be replaced by the thick sticky slime his attempts were growing weaker until he started going limp.

Suddenly a blast of water shot out from the darkness and struck the villain at her base. She let out a scream on pain as the ink seemed to dissolve at the simple touch from the water. Batman fell to the ground and quickly got onto his knees. He started vomiting the blobs of inque, trying to force it out of his system. Once he managed to control his urge to gag he looked up at the old man who had covered his face with a brown hat and goggles. "What kept you?" Batman asked.

"Sudden case of shyness." Bruce simply replied with a smirk.

They quickly looked for inque as she once again made her way towards the stairs. "There she goes!" Batman shouted. Bruce ran over to the wall and pushed a button causing a large steel door to block the entrance to the stairs. This stopped Inque cold just as she reached the door.

"It pays to be prepared." Bruce stated with a smirk.

That door didn't stop Inque as she tried slinking under it. "She's getting through!" Batman announced, about to rush over there until Bruce pushed another button. There was a flash of light combined with the sound of an electric current followed by Inque's scream as she was forced back and landed a few feet in front of the two heroes.

"You _are _prepared!" Batman stated, impressed by the old man. Inque regained her humanoid form only for a moment before launching herself towards the ceiling.

"She won't get out that way either, there's a solid layer of steel." Bruce calmly stated, confident they had her trapped until the ground began to shake.

"I think she has other plans." Batman replied as large rocks and spikes began falling from the Batcave's ceiling. Several of Bruce's collection were shattered and destroyed by the falling debris as Batman and Bruce tried to avoid getting hit.

They kept dodging and were forced to separate. Batman was near the large T-rex statue while Bruce stood in front of the large penny. Neither of the two noticed Inque lower herself from the ceiling as she began to push the penny over. As it gave way and fell Bruce saw the shadow shift and turned, too stunned to get out of the way in time. He was about to be crushed when Batman came out of nowhere, grabbed Bruce and tried flying out from under the falling penny with the help of his jet boots. They had almost made it when the penny landed hard on Batman's legs, pinning him down and sending Bruce rolling forward.

Inque appeared a few feet away from the trapped hero before her sharp, whip-like blade formed again from her right hand. "Got you now." She stated as she slowly made her way towards the hero.

Terry quickly tried to pull his legs free, but it was difficult to get them from the over-sized coin.

Inque saw what he was doing and rushed forward, trying to finished him off before he could get loose. Batman saw her coming and with the help of his bat suit and the power of the jet boots he managed to free himself, but, she was too close. With one strong swipe, she slashed him across the chest and his torso, tearing right through the suit. Inque's attacked was rewarded with the flow of blood.

Batman stumbled backwards until he collapsed, clutching his chest in sheer agony. Inque casually walked up to him and kneeled down, grabbed his chin in her hand, forcing him to look up at her. "Why don't we have a look at those eyes of yours so I can see them glaze over?"

She went to pull off his mask when Batman weakly smiled at her. "I was about to ask you the same thing."

Inque stopped, surprised by what he said and during her moment of confusion he fired the freeze gun at her which he had picked up when he fell. The label on the shattered case above him read: Victor Freeze.

Inque tried to get away, but the freeze ray turned her into a solid block of ice until it became unbalanced and fell, shattering into hundreds of pieces.

Bruce moaned as he slowly came to and sat up to see the aftermath of the fight. He saw Inque's frozen remains and looked over to see Batman lying on the ground. He smiled, noting the teen's good work, that is, until he saw the blood.

"Terry!" Bruce shouted as he hurried over to the fallen hero.

Terry was gasping for breath, but his struggles were growing weak. Bruce ripped the mask off of him. "Terry! Hang in there!"

The teen tried to swallow, but it only resulted in him choking as blood began spilling from the side of his mouth. The teen looked up at Bruce and smiled weakly. "Heh, not much of a hero, am I? Y-you were right."

"Don't talk like that! you're going to be fine!" Bruce retorted in his usual grumpy tone in an attempt to convince the boy to keep fighting.

"G-guess this is what I get for not listening." Terry said, as he remembered the night he left his father only to return hours later to find out he had been murdered. Terry had never forgiven himself for leaving his father to fight his attackers alone and considered this as a form of punishment.

"Terry, listen to me!" Bruce insisted. "You've got to hold on. I'll call the commissioner and get you some help. She and I go way back and she knows how to keep a secret." He tried, Bruce refused to let his newest pupil give in to death.

Terry looked down at the floor, knowing what the pool of blood around him meant. He looked over at the glass case that was nearest the door, where the Batman Costume still hung, the original Batman costume that Bruce once proudly wore. His gaze then shifted to his own mask that lay on the ground, facing him.

Terry heard a sound, it sounded like a voice, but it was muffled, distant some how. He turned his gaze to see Bruce shouting at him, but the old man was very blurry and he couldn't make out what he was saying. He also noticed how the pain was fading as well. He felt a calm wash over him and relaxed, relieved that he was no longer in pain. His world began to grow dark for a moment until he felt a warm light and embraced it, allowing his eyes to slowly close.

"Terry! Terry don't you dare give up!" Bruce tried, he kept shouting until his voice grew horse, but the teen's eyes had long since closed and his breathing had stopped. Terry Mcginnis was dead.

* * *

Sometime later sirens blared as an ambulance pulled in to the emergency entrance. The back doors flew open as the EMT's rushed Terry through the double doors. Bruce had followed behind in his car and rushed inside only to be directed into the waiting room. Minutes seemed like hours as Bruce waited and prayed. As he waited he realized this was the first time things had slowed down enough for him to reflect over the choices he had made.

_"I should never have let him keep that suit. I should hade made him return it and sent him away."_ Bruce thought as he sat there, regretting ever letting that boy into his house. _"None of this would have happened if I had just followed my instincts."_

Finally after two hours the doctor emerged from the ER and approached Bruce. "Mr. Wayne?" He addressed him.

Bruce stood up with the help of his cane and approached the doctor. "Well?" He asked, impatiently.

The doctor looked down at his clipboard and adjusted his glasses which Bruce noted as a bad sign. "I'm sorry Mr. Wayne. We did everything we could, but there was too much damage and blood loss... I'm afraid we've lost him."

Bruce looked at the doctor in shock before losing the strength to stand and fell into the chair behind him as the doctor went on.

"If there's any family to contact, I suggest letting them know."

_Why? Why was the doctor forcing him to face Terry's family?_ He glared up at the doctor and snorted. "That's your job. I'm not taking the blame for your failure."

Bruce pushed past the doctor and headed outside. He had to get away from that man before he did something he would regret. A drop of rain hit his face as he looked up at the sky. Dark red clouds had covered the sky. It felt as if the night itself were mourning the loss of it's newest defender.

* * *

**I know, I know, the best character in the series and I kill him off in the prologue. Before I get mobbed by angry fan-girls I'd like to point out that it hurts me to. Terry is my favorite character from Batman Beyond, but this was the challenge that I was given and I'm going to write this out to the best of my ability, and no, Terry will not be replaced by an OC taking the name of Batman. If anything it's kinda sweet who takes up the name. Please review? :)**


	2. Prologue Part 2: Those Left Behind

_**Shade: And here's part 2 of the prologue. I was just going to start up the first chapter, but it just turned out better to do it this way. I also thought I'd take this chance to try a new way to disclaim stories that I've seen other writer's use and I've always enjoyed them, so why don't you take it away for us Terry?**_

_**Terry:...*grunts***_

_**Shade: What's your problem?**_

_**Terry: You killed me off!**_

_**Shade: I'm sorry, it was part of the challenge. Besides, you're not totally gone.**_

_**Terry: I'm not? How? That death looked pretty final to me.**_

_**Shade: You'll see, just disclaim, pretty please?**_

_**Terry: *sighs* Fine, Shade doesn't own Batman or any related characters, original idea belongs to Batman DannyP Fanwriter, plot and stories belong to Shade. Happy now?**_

_**Shade: Very. :)**_

* * *

**Prologue Part Two**

As Bruce stood there, looking up at the sky he didn't notice his old friend approach him. Barbara Gordan stood a few feet behind him with a small suitcase in her hand. She waited for him to acknowledge her presence like he always had, but his mind was replaying the night's events in his mind. Barbara knew she had to stop him from blaming himself, like he had with the rest of them.

"He knew the risks Bruce," she began in a gentle, yet firm tone. "He knew that there was a chance he'd get hurt or worse and yet he put on the mask just like the rest of us did."

Bruce reflected on those words, letting the fates of all of his pupils play in his mind as he compared them. From Dick hanging up the Robin costume and becoming Night Wing to the nightmare that happened to Tim Drake in the last confrontation with the Joker to how he and Batgirl went their separate ways, and now this..._This was worse._

Bruce turned to face her and for the first time Barbara blinked in surprise. The man who stood before her, that hardly ever shown emotion was wearing a look of despair. No tears, but he didn't need them. The night was sharing his sorrow and began to rain harder.

Barbara closed her eyes and with a defeated sigh she set the case down and turned to walk away. Bruce let her go without saying a word, instead he looked down at the case and noticed a small note tied to the handle.

_"The secret is safe..."_

Even though Bruce knew it meant that no one would know that Terry was the new Batman he didn't care. For what Bruce had caused he felt every single enemy he had ever fought deserved to know the true face of the man they hated so they could have their revenge. He felt it was the only way he could atone for the loss of such a promising young life.

His thoughts were interrupted as a car pulled up to the hospital's emergency entrance. It was Mary McGinnis, Terry's mother. She rushed inside without realizing Bruce was standing mere feet away.

As the doors closed Bruce saw the doctor talking with her and then she suddenly wailed and fell as a nurse caught her. Bruce clenched his fist and closed his eyes.

Back at the Bat Cave Bruce was sitting in his computer chair, Ace was laying on the floor next to him. Wayne looked around the cave at the damage that had been caused by Inque. The commissioner had taken every shard of ice that contained the imprisoned murderer and ordered her to be put in a permanent deep freeze.

Ace sensed his master's sorrow and nuzzled his hand with a gentle whimper. The Great Dane was rewarded by a stroke behind the ears from Bruce. "Thanks boy." Bruce said.

* * *

The next day nine-year-old Matt McGinnis was returning home from his friend's sleep over. His friend's mother had just dropped him off and as he waited for the elevator he opened up the new comic book he had bought when he and his friend had gone to the comic shop the previous day. As he rode up the elevator his eyes darted across the page as he absorbed himself in the action and read aloud some of the pows, bangs and ka-booms as he reached his apartment floor. The front door opened and as he entered he called out, "Hey Mom!" without looking up, but she didn't answer.

Matt stopped and looked around. His mother wasn't in the living room or the kitchen. He thought maybe she was over at the neighbor's house, until he saw his older brother's bedroom door open. Matt smirked, wondering what kinda of neat stuff his brother was keeping to himself. When he peaked inside he saw his mother sitting on the bed holding something close to her.

"Mom? What's going on? Terry get into trouble again? You gonna bust him good this time aren't ya? Can I watch?" He asked with a snicker. Mary looked up at her now only son and the look she gave him stole the smile off his face. "...Mom? What is it?" He asked, suddenly scared.

"Matt..." she began, "...it's your brother...he's..." She couldn't bring herself to say it, but the look in Matt's eyes reflected that he knew. He took a step back from the room. "...no...not him too..." He weakly replied. Mary was broken-hearted, but she made to get up and comfort Matt when he glared at her. "NO! I don't believe you!"

He turned and ran, throwing his comic on the floor as he stormed out of the house and ran down the stairs, not waiting for the elevator. Mary sat back down on the bed and looked at the picture she was holding of Terry as a new wave of tears flowed freely down her face.

Matt kept running until he made it outside, but he didn't stop running until he got to the nearby park where Terry had taken him a few times after moving in. He ran to the tree where Terry had saved him from a fall when he tried climbing to get his frisbee back. The both of them had fallen and as Terry scolded him about being recklace Matt laughed at him when Terry's hair was full of leaves. Both boys ended up laughing and having a good day, but now that tree was where Matt had run to for comfort.

He dropped to his knees, leaned against the tree and openly sobbed.

* * *

A few days later the funeral was held in the Gotham National Cemetary. Bruce had paid for everything, but it did nothing to ease the heart of those who had shown up to mourn the loss of their friend and family member. Dana tried to keep herself composed, but couldn't help herself at times. Terry's classmate Max was trying to console her along with Chelsea; another girl from school.

At the viewing Bruce had requested a private vidule. There were a thousand things Bruce had wanted to say, but despite his best efforts he couldn't bring himself to say anything. Instead, he stood there, engulfed in his pain, feeling the same pain as when he had lost his parents and feeling the same guilt. Even though he was a child when his parents were killed Bruce felt he could have tried to do something instead of just standing there and watching the nightmare unfold before his eyes and this time was no different.

As the crowd began to depart Dana was being led away by Chelsea when Nelson Nash, a high school jock and also fellow classmate of Terry's approached the two girls. "I know it's hard Dana, but look at the bright side, You've still got me and I won't leave you hanging every night like he did. I'll be a real boyfriend."

Dana glared at him as she held back another wave of tears, obviously hurt by his words. "At least Terry was a real gentleman who tried protecting the people he cared for instead of screaming like a girl and whining over a scratch on his car!" Max retorted as she got between him and Dana.

Nelson glared at her before a smile calmly appeared on his face. "Yeah? Well he's gone now and I say good riddance."

"Shut Up!"

The group turned to see a very upset Matt who hand his hands balled into fists which were shaking at his sides. "Don't you dare talk about my brother like that!" Tears were in his eyes, but he was doing his best to hold them back.

Nelson walked over to the kid and looked down at him. "What's wrong kid? Can't handle the truth? Your brother was a loser who didn't stand a chance."

"Nelson!" Chelsea scolded.

"What?" The jock asked. "Kid's gotta learn the truth sooner or later and it'll only hurt more later."

"So will this!" Matt shouted as he kicked Nelson in the shin causing the jock yelp in pain. The older teen then shoved Matt to the ground. "You little twip!" He was about to kick him when a cane came swinging upwards catching Nelson in the jaw and knocking him back. Bruce Wayne was standing there, glaring at the jock.

"Leave him alone."

Nelson glared at the old man. "Who asked you old timer?" He then stopped when he saw the cold stare the old man was giving him. It was as if it reached his very core and Nelson saw something in those eyes that terrified him. He backed away and left without saying another word. Bruce turned to look back at Matt, but he was no where to be seen.

As the sun was beginning to set Bruce stood a fair distance away from the grave of Terry McGinnis. He was waiting for Mary and Matt to leave, but what the young boy did next shocked Bruce. Matt fell onto his hands and knees at the foot of the grave and wept. Despite the distance, Bruce could hear what the boy was saying.

"I'm sorry I made fun of you and went through your stuff! I'm sorry for all the times I tried getting you in trouble! I promise I'll never do it again, just come back! PLEASE come back!"

Mary knelt down and comforted her son as she too mourned with him. At that moment Bruce saw himself in that same pose at the foot of his parent's grave. Never had he felt so alone and in such pain. All of the beatings he had suffered at the hands of his enemies paled in comparison to the loss of his family. Now Matt was suffering the same pain and it wasn't fair.

When the grave stood alone Bruce approached it. The sun had nearly set and the moon was beginning to rise. Bruce placed a hand on the top of the tombstone. "Terry, I'm sorry, I never should have let you talk me into reviving the name of Batman. Despite my best intentions, I knew the risks, but I ignored them. I have no one to blame but myself, your death is my fault and yet those closest to you are forced to suffer for my mistake. I promise what happened to you will not be repeated. The legacy of Batman dies with you."

With that Bruce turned and walked away.

* * *

Back in his Bat Cave Bruce was sitting at his computer, locking away some files and deleting others. Bruce meant what he said this time. No one else would wear the bat symbol ever again and this time he'd make sure of it. Once the computer had been taken care of and shut down for the last time Bruce turned to the other pieces of his collection.

Thanks to Barbara Gordan, the cave had been restores as had the rest of the collection. Bruce walked over to the stair case leading upstairs to his mansion when he noticed one of the bat suit cases was still empty. Looking back he saw the briefcase still sitting on the edge of the computer desk. Bruce opened it and his eyes peeled back in pain as he saw Terry's bat suit, but he was even more torn by the fact that the fatal blows were still present in the two large tears in the suit, cutting through the torso and the chest.

Bruce slammed the case shut with the suit still inside and threw it at the empty case. The glass shattered as the case opened upon impact with the floor and the bat suit fell out. Bruce shut his eyes and turned away from it. Taking his leave and heading up the stairs before shutting off the lights for the final time.

* * *

Over across the city in the head office of Wanye-Powers Corp. Derek Powers was reading over a few papers that were piled on his desk. He was secretly waiting to hear word of Inque since she had missed her check in. He could only assume that she had failed her mission.

Out of pure boredom he picked up the remote and turned on the television. He tuned in right in the middle of the report of the McGinnis funeral and smiled when he saw that the troublesome upstart was out of his hair for keeps. He was even more satisfied by the painful expression from the normally stone-faced Bruce Wayne. "Looks like the McGinnis boy just made my job easier." Derek said to himself as he watched the rest of the report.

* * *

_**Terry: Huh. didn't know the little twip cared that much.**_

_**Shade: He's your brother! Why wouldn't he care?**_

_**Terry: He has a funny way of showing it.**_

_**Shade: Well, now you know. I'm more worried about the old man and what Powers has planned.**_

_**Terry: Whatever it is, it can't be good. Drop a review and let Shade know what you think.**_


	3. Chapter One: Eight Years Later

_**Shade: Well Bruce, what do you think of the story so far? **_

_**Bruce: ...*glares*...**_

_**Shade: Okay, well I promised the new chapter was coming soon and here it is, hopefully it appeals to readers, right Bruce?**_

_**Bruce: ...*glare intensifies*...**_

_**Shade: Heh, *gulps* okay then, why don't I just disclaim this one, Batman Beyond and all related characters belong to Warner Brothers. Original idea belongs to Batman DannyP Fanwriter, Plot and Oc characters belong to me.**_

* * *

**Batman Beyond**

**Broken Wings**

**Chapter One: Eight Years Later**

The school bell rang sounding the end of another day. Students crowded the hallways as they made their way to their lockers to grab their things and head home. A boy seventeen-year-old boy with black hair and wearing a brown jacket was putting up his science book and reached for his backpack. Suddenly his locker door slammed into his shoulder as a couple of jocks walked by.

"Oops, Sorry Matt, I didn't know that was you, With that smelly old jacket I thought it was a garbage bag." The brown-haired jock mocked. The blonde-haired jock next to him laughed as Matt rubbed his shoulder and glared at them.

"Funny, I didn't know disposal robots could talk." Matt retorted.

Matt was no longer the bratty kid he had been several years ago. Losing both his father and his brother had toughened him up and had it not been for the eight year difference in age anyone could have mistaken Matt for Terry. There were slight facial differences, but the likeness to his older brother was uncanny.

The first jock, known on campus as Jack Peterson shoved Matt against another locker. "You think your funny McGinnis? You're just a washed up punk with no future. you got no skills and no class. You'll be lucky to end up as a janitor at a nursing home by the time you get out of here."

"Yo Jack, we got company." The other Jock nudged him in the shoulder, spotting a teacher approaching from down the hall. Jack glared at his friend before turning his attention back to Matt. "You just caught a lucky break McGinnis."

He shoved the teen back once more as he and the other jock went on their way leaving Matt to straighten the sleeves on his jacket.

As Matt walked down the school steps he turned, hearing the voice of his friends as they hurried to catch up. A girl about a year younger than Matt wearing a yellow shirt, black shorts and knee-high black boots with red hair that fell down past her shoulders ran to meet him followed by a boy around Matt's age with black hair, black shirt and blue jeans. He wore a dog tag chain necklace and his jeans were torn at the knee caps.

These were Anna and Rex, The best friends Matt have ever known. As they walked down the street Anna decided to bring up the incident from earlier. "What was Peterson's problem this time? He broke a nail and blamed you?"

Rex snickered at the comment as Matt merely adjusted his backpack. "Just the same ol' thing he normally does, dissin' my jacket again."

Anna shook her head as Rex actually looked over the jacket. "Maybe the dude's got a point, I mean that thing is ancient. It's got several rips and tears in it. You got the money to go and buy a new one, heck I'll buy you one for your birthday if you want."

Matt stopped and closed his eyes before turning away from the direction of the train station and walked over to state at his reflection in a nearby fountain. Anna elbowed Rex in the ribs. "Moron! That belonged to his brother."

Rex's face instantly shifted from joking to serious before he followed Anna who had followed Matt. "You okay?" She asked.

Matt kept looking at his reflection. "Yeah." He replied, but the tone he carried didn't convince his friends.

"Sorry man, I didn't know that was your bro's. Now I can understand why you'd hold on to it." Rex apologized.

"It's no big. Hardly anyone remembers him, even my Mom doesn't mention him anymore."

"That's rough man." Rex replied as Anna rubbed Matt's shoulder in an attempt to comfort him. "What matters is that you remember him, as long as one person cares about him then his memory will live on. that's what my grandmother told me when my parents died."

Matt smiled at Anna before looking at his watch. "Ah Slag it, I forgot Mom wanted me to head to the store before I got home. I'll check you guys later."

Anna and Rex watched him turn the corner before crossing the street and heading off in the other direction.

* * *

A few blocks away in one of the upper floors of Wayne-Powers Corp. Bruce was in his office working. He set down his pen and took a sip from his coffee mug. After decades of being used to working all hours of the night it hadn't been easy adjusting to normal business hours. Still, he had managed well enough.

A light flashed in the corner of his monitor accompanied by the sound of a phone ringing. Bruce glanced over at it before pressing the button and a woman appeared on the screen. "Go ahead." He answered.

"Mr. Wayne, Mr. Powers would like to hold a meeting in your office in an hour." she replied through her head set.

Bruce looked thoughtful for a moment before replying. "Very well." He then pressed the button again and hung up before returning to his work.

* * *

Up several floors in the head office, Derek Powers was having another meeting. His son, Paxton was sitting in one of the chairs listening to his father's plans for the company. He let his father finish before he voiced his thoughts.

"So, let me make sure I heard you correctly. You want force Bruce to change his will?"

Derek glared at his son. "I've worked hard over the years to take over this company and make sure it stayed in my control. I nearly lost everything almost ten years ago and since then I've made sure nothing happens behind my back. There's only one thing standing in my way of complete control; Bruce Wayne. After that brat died he changed his will. The entire Wayne fortune which was partially tied into the company was withdrawn and was awarded to someone else."

Paxton chuckled as he leaned back in his chair. "Are you saying the money was supposed to go to you? I doubt that. It's obvious Bruce hates your guts."

Derek stood up and looked down at his son in such a way it wiped the smile off Paxton's face. "I would have been funneled into the company's stocks and investments, which given time would have found its way under my control. Now that it's been changed this company won't see a cent."

Derek slammed his fist down on the table before calming himself, trying to control his anger before he aggravated his condition. The business shark walked over to the window and looked out over the city.

Paxton sat there, lost in his own thoughts until he worked up the nerve to ask the obvious question. "Do you know whose name is on the will now?"

Derek watched his son through the window's reflection without looking behind him. "That's what I intend to find out from dear Mr. Wayne in our upcoming meeting."

"And if he doesn't talk?" Paxton asked, knowing first hand how stubborn the old man could be.

"Oh he'll talk," Derek began, "...unless he wants to fail the McGinnis family again."

Paxton had no idea who his father was talking about, but assumed his father knew what he was doing.

* * *

_**Shade: Sheesh, that guy just can't be grateful for what he's got. He's got to go that one step further, ey Mr. Wayne?**_

_**Bruce: Too bad for him I don't break under pressure.**_

_**Shade: That's because he has no idea who he's really dealing with. **_

_**Bruce: Precisely. **_


End file.
